dumnonia

Saturday, 28 April 2018

Lower Hooksbury Wood

Industrial Archaeological Features Industrial activity finds its most striking manifestation in a very fine example of medieval and later tin working. It takes the form of an openwork over one km. long from east to west and up to 250m. wide (L). The worked area has scarped sides up to 6m. deep and it is filled with tinners’ shafts, trial pits, and waste heaps (not depicted in detail on this overlay). The west end of the openwork runs into Lower Hooksbury Wood, where it is not visible on air photographs. It is served by numerous leats running in from north and south and the actual remains of some mining buildings appear to survive in places, particularly at Wheal Florence (M) where the remains of a whim platform can also be recorded. A very unusual alignment of pits (N), presumably derives from mineral prospecting but their date and specific function are unknown.